#Mompowerment: Momfluencer Amber Folkman

Finding Everyday Magic in Sharing Her Love for the Philippines

Amber’s blog, A Momma Abroad, is her passion project where she writes about her family’s life as expats, discovering and savoring everything Filipino from culture to books and travel.

She started her Instagram account in 2015 with the simple intent of sharing with family and friends back in the US how life is like in Manila. Somewhere along the way she realized that it could be much more than that. She says, “It transformed into wanting foreigners who lived here, to not just live but thrive in Manila. I wanted them to bloom and be happy here. And then it transformed again because I found that Filipinos loved what I did. So for me, it was like, ‘Well, that’s nice, that someone appreciates my perspective.’ So now it’s also about spreading positivity.”

Amber has 3 kids whom she likes to call her “3 Pinoy boys;” Acher, 7, Oz, 5, and her bunso, Wells, 3. Her most fulfilling moment is when she hears her kids speak in Tagalog. She shares, “That’s like the ultimate. When I can see my kids doing something that is culturally different from what I did as a child, or even what I do now as an adult. I love that they are so much braver than I am and so easily able to grasp a different cultural experience in addition to the ones we have as Americans.”

Her #mompowerment moment came after a humbling experience that made her realize the value of who she was and what she had was more than enough. Amber shares, “I wanted to be on this big motherhood blog in the US and I thought that I had achieved goals when I was finally featured in it. I really wanted to show what life was life in the Philippines. I thought that if I did that, I’d made it. And then it happened and it ended up just flopping. I didn’t feel fulfilled. My voice wasn’t heard as I had hoped. But it’s good because it took that tumble, that deflation of my ego to realize that I liked what I’m doing. I’m happy with the message and content that I’m sharing. Most importantly, that fulfilling moment when I realized, Hey, I don’t need that. I’m happy with myself. What I’m doing is something good. I’ll keep going with it.”

Amber shares that life is all about choosing your priorities and focusing on what is most important. Her constants are, “to be healthy, to take care of myself and my family.” Her positivity is infectious because it comes from a strong sense of self and a desire to share the magic in everyday life. Her passion project, A Momma Abroad, reflects that. No small wonder that her followers continue to grow.